Torpedo guard for vessels



L. M. HARRINIAN.

TORPEDO GUARD FOR VESSELS.

'APPLICATION man luLYs. 1921.

Patented Apr. 1.8,' 1.922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' MJUM amitie STATES LESLIE MQHARRIMAN, or LYNN, nnsissnoterUslarTs.f"Y

` 'ronrnno GuAnn Fon vnssnns. Y

or by torpedoes discharged Vthereagainst.`

Marine torpedoes lof the type 1 atpresent yemployed are generally provided with a nose or contact capwhich functions' on 'striking objects, such as the side` of'vessels, to set :off the explosive charge contained within the torpedo body or are provided with mechanism ,}s o arranged, that thestoppingof the" torpedo by coming in 'contact withfthe job- .jstacle'setsfthe mechanism in operation'to set off' the explosive charge carried by the torpedo. l Vl\/ly'i nvention is designed to pref ventvorminimize the effects of the explosion ofsuch ltorpedoes discharged atv the hull of afvessel. 7 Broadly, this invention involves the provisin"of",theVhiill-witha4 structure vso ' which is `normally' closely `held adj acent .the oiftenface of the hull of the "vessel and'is `adapted when-in danger-Zonato be' out- "rigged or spacedap'artvfrom the hullv so that 'the hullis protected from any explosion by the guard and bythe wall of waterbetween the guard and the hull.V f

`Further, the outrigged structure is provided with many openings which are adaptedto receive the tapered nose or cap-end of lthe' torpedo and yet are not largeA enough to permit the entrance ofthe torpedo body. The portions of theguard adjacent the openings are beveled so that they provide substantially knife edges and thus present a smaller object-to the'dire'ct pathof the projected tapered nose'torpedo.

, My invention is designed also to prevent a mine, of that type set off by contact with a vessel, exploding beneath the hull, butbeing caused to explode in the water away from the-hull byhaving been set off by contact with the front of the guard, so'that the explosive force against the hull is minimized `by the wall ofl water between the guard and the hull.

Y Application mea July 5, 1921'. serial no. 482,556.

Specication of Iiettcrs Patent The object therefore of' this invention is vessels. Y l lA' further object 'is to provide a torpedo guard for vessels which'fmay'be carried'by to provide a mine andtorpedoguardfor v a vessel and spaced apart from thel'hull and its sides movable to a normal'position adj acent the outerface ofthe hull Iso. thatthe frictional retardation of the moving vessel isy reduced, but 'having vits bow extending forward of thebow ofthe vessel approz'ri-L:v

"mately the same distaneeftoineetplanted mines as whenin its outriggedfposition. y Itv isalso myfaimto 'provide'su'c'hf a de.-

Yvice ofthe very simplestconstruction, free from (complications, fwithv vall parts made With--v-shapeaedges-jminimizingfrearaay tion, with hollow parts ensuring' buoyancy,

ensureefiiciency of service.

and al1 so arranged that it Iat alltimes @The invention consists 'infeertain novel'-4 a'lies Ofconstruction andar-'rangement f Pa'fts which Will be .fully,understoodloyrefiy j erence to the-` description ofthe drawings and vtothe claims hereinaftergiven.` A

`Referring to the` accompanying drawings l: f'- r i cached toa' vessel, whenfin'its 'outermost poe sitionreadyto meet'a torpedo. f Figi?, is a side elevation ofmy ``guardattached"to a vessel.v Fig. 3dsafrear, elevation -of-thjejf'V l Y same. -'Fig.f4`is a plan view-ofthe same inV gf'- Vva'closed position. vFig. is anenlargedsec:

tional elevationl of an upper portion'of'the guard.V i f Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the draw ings. I v Y.

Latitude is allowed herein as toy details, as they may be changed or varied atwillwitlr out departing" from the spirit offmyminven-f of the -three mentioned portions of the hull,` while 1t is movablev to assume an outrigged -Y lposition'spaced apart from the hu'lllsofthat,

torpedoes may be stopped when still away from the hull and while the force of an unchecked or accidental explosion will belminimized by the water intervening between the hull and the guard. The guard can be shaped to conform substantially to the longitudinal lines of the hull and extends, in this selected embodiment, from just belowr the water line to the horizontal Vplane of the keel 'or to a slight distance below the same. The guard is articulated so that in its movements from normal to operative position and vice versa, the longitudinal lines of the hull may be correspondingly maintained.

ommencing at the top near Ythe water line and extending therebelow are a plurality of longitudinal openings which are large enough to permit the entrance of l`the usual tapered nose of a torpedo but not 4the ytorpedo body.

ln the embodiment of they invention here illustrated 'therev is shown` the hull, ydesignated by thev numeral 6, of a vesselwhich may, of course, be ofany length andany desired shape. The 'guard members on each side of the hull are preferably formed of articulated' sections, the length and number y 'of same =being according to the length of the Vessel. The bow-sections 7 are p'iv'otally connected to and supportedby'the' forward side sections 10as by means of theheaded pivot rods8- The two ycomplementary* bow sections 7 arezprovided-onrtheir outer edge with hinges 9, about which theyv may turn in the manipulation y.of theguard; the arrangement ofthehinges on the bow sections being so arranged, that if desired, by removing the links on one sideof the guard from the vessel, that sideof the guard canV be swung around tothe'other side 'of thejguard yforward of the same, and Vallow'the .vessel to be swung inand alongside/of a wharf or about another vessel. The Vbow sections 7 and the side sections 10, 11, l2, and 13 are substantially equal in depth and extend as far as the keel'of the protected-hull or can be extended to a greater depth if deemed advisable. The bow'sections and the side sections are preferably'below the water line but if desired they can be extended 'above the water lineto form a` protection for the upperpart of the hull against shot, and the bow sections can be inclined upward to afgreater heightthan the side sections-as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

ln this embodiment of'my invention, pivoted connection of the side sections 10, 11, 12, and 13 to thel hull 6 is aifordedby means of upper links l-and lowerlinks 26. Each link ispivotally mounted at each end and for this purpose, pairs of lugs are formed on the outer face of the hull and inner face of lthe side'members; the lugs formed on the upper outer face ofthe hull being designated bythe numeral ,17 'while the lugs-formed on the lower outer face of the hull being designated by the numeral 27, these lugs being provided with outwardly extending arms in the outer ends of which the links 15 and 26 'superposed pairs. As shown in this embodiment eight links are employed on each side of the hull but it is to be understood that the number or arrangement of the linking structure may be varied to accord with the type and side of the hull; also that the length `of the arm on the lugs 27l depends entirely on the inward sweep of the underpart -of the hull. It also may be found desirable, as the inward sweep ofthe hull is very slight compared vwith the length of the links, which would ordinarily be upward of twelve feet, to slot the link at vone or both ends to allow free play and movement as the guard -is closed or opened, and thus do away withthe outward extending arm of the lugs 27 ,between the end 28 and the side ofthe vessel v6.

The lugs are preferably formed so as 4to give as little resistance aspossible, and whereever possible, for the same purpose, all fparts thatwould causejretardation ofthe Yvessel are made with knife or V-shaped edges. As shown in Fig. 2 ithe .guard entends from adj ac et `the bow of the vessels-hullto substantial-ly beyond the stern of the same fand consists of the bow section 7 lconnected to :the forward `side sections 10 by means ofthepivotrodsfS,

12 to 11, and 13 to 12. The bow sections -7 and each of the side sections are preferably formed with a hollow'top, as shown Iin Fig. 5, reinforced by an upright support orfbrace 19and a cross brace 20, with a series of parallel hollow rods, which may be of a construction to make them air tight, designated by the numeral 25, each having a standard Ior support 23 extending from its lower V- shaped side to its uppermost portion. These rods being so constructed that a sectionalV view through the same would show, asin Fig. 5, a diamond shaped construction. AThe distance from outer point to the center ofthe support 28 being G-inchesand the distance from the inner point to the center of the support 23 being 4E inches, making a-total width of only 10 inches, and by examinationof Fig. 5 it will be seen that the standard 'supports 19 and --23 are towards the `inner iis in spaced relation therefrom, comprise av 1,413,270 A j v ,3

sectionsare connectedby uprightsllt); the lugs land 29 being connectedon they inner side of the upright portions 40. These sections constituting the vguard members are :provided with `longitudinal openings 18, which extend vertically `substantially froin the water line tothe bottom of the sections.

tion, substantiallyknife edges are presented Y to an oncoming torpedo. Such provision not only reduces the liability to immediateV explosion of the torpedo by contact with one of these intervening portions but the angled openings tend'to deflect gently and guide the torpedo nose into anopeningwhen the Vtorpedo body'will be wedged between the sides of an opening and rendered harmless.4 The means, shown inthe accompanyingdrawings, which areloperable'to retain the sectionsV adjacent the hull or toretain them i motor 30 geared to shaft 3l which has at -bevel gears 33 on shaft to which is also fast V' l. Saidimotor 30V beinginfele'ctric circuitv opposite ends bevelg'earsBQ meshing with pinion 34 adapted to mesh Vwithsector 85 pivoted at 36 andsaid sector being fast to the rear armlas indicated at 37, seelig.r

under controlv of switch 3S. It is evident that outward movement-fof the sectorsfV causes the guard sections to move forwardly Vwith relation Vto the vessels hull to anv out `Vrigged position. WVhen need forl torpedo protection isabsent, an inward movement of the sectors 35 functions toV swing the s guard sections rearwardly with relationto the hull into normal'position. It is also evi-A dent that the sections may be moved to any desired position from the inner normal position, which may be at 12 or more feet from the hull, so that if desired to only move the sections to four or five feet distance from the vessels side the sectors 35 are only moved outward the required distance necessary to move the sections to the desired distance. 1t may be found desirable not lto have the guard sections carried forward to the ,position shown in Fig. l or it may be preferable to have the lugs 17 and 2T on the sides of the hull set. forward of their corresponding lugs 16 and 29 on the inner sides of the sections to allow of readily collapsing', instead of breaking, if struck b v another vessel or by a torpedo, especially if the gear,- ing has not been locked. The striking of the section by a torpedo would in the majority of cases, cause the section to move a few feet inward as the nose of the torpedo became wedged between the rods, and show to the occupants ofthe vessel that the guard had been struck by ca -torpedo.l The guard isself floating, and is no load on-tlie `vesselit through the water, and therefore overcomes the' objections: to guards supported Y from the sides of vessels. 'Y There is therefore, provided a simple, eflicient and durable 1 `other than the'eXtrapower requiredvtocarry Y torpedo guard which may be'ineXpensively constructed, the range of permissiblefmaterials is wide and as many variations may be made in the structure ofthe guard asare desirable to adapt yit to vessels of different types. C l Y Y Itis to be understood that my inventionis not limited to the specificdetails ofcon'` struction shown inthe accompanying draw! ing, but that said detailsmay be varied inf the, practical carrying 'out` of iny invention. It is also to be understood vthat theV combinations set forth in the several clairnsare intended to .bey used in connection"therewith 'of other features andi details of construction illustrated. f

VHaving thusdescribed my invention, Iclaiin a's new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' fl, A torpedo guard for vessels comprising side sections extendingV from adjacent thebow o-f a vessels hullto substantially ber-1Y -yond the sternV of the same,a pair of bow `sections, saidV bow sections beingV articulated!j'v `and each having articulated connection' with lits adj a'centside section, means forpivotally v zsnpportingvthe side Sections from the l,hull to permit said sections to swing laterally'from and longitudinally of the hull, and means operable tov retain the sections adjacent the" ioov hull orfto retain them inlaterally spaced re-*Vl lation therefrom, the articulation kof thej sec- Ltions permitting the same to maintain vsubstantially the longitudinal lines of the hull in all positions of lateral andlongitudinal movement. Y

2. A torpedo guard for vessels comprising a pair of hinged bow sections, a series of floatable side sections, the bow and side sections forming a series of sections extending from the front of the bow of the vessel to substantially-beyond the stern of the same, links pivoted at one end to the vessels hull and at the other end to the said sections, said j links being at all times inclined rearwardly, and means connected with the rear set of links operable from the vessel to move the sections to a forward defensive position or rearwardly to a collapsed position, substantially as shown and described.y Y

3. A torpedo guard for vessels comprising a series of floatable side sections having V-shaped edges, a'pair of bow sections, said bow sections being articulated and each' having articulated connection with its adjacent' side section, each of said side sections being the first in a series of articulated side sections, each having *articulated connection With the section in its rear, each of said side sections being pivotally supported roin the hull of the vessel so that said sections swing Vlaterally from and longitudinally of the hull Without strain on the hull and ineans oper-able to retain the sections adjacent the hull or to retain them in laterally spaced relation 'therefrom7 substantially as shown and deya torpedo will cause the sections to move rearwardly and towards lthe vessel to a collapsed position, substantially as shown and described.

5. A torpedo guard comprising self oatwith its adjacent side section, each of said side sections being the first in a series of articulated side sections on that side of the hull and each having articulated connection With the section in its rear7 links in superposed pairs pivotally connected with the hull at one end and with the inner side of the section of the guard at the opposite rearwardly inclined end, gearingcarried on the vessel for actuating the guard, sectors connecting the gearing andthe links of the end sections, and means for actuating the sectors to cause the guard to assume a collapsed position against the side of the hull or an outrigged position away from the hull, and the bou7 sections so constructed as to act as mine sweepers, substantially as shown and described.

In testirnony whereof I affix vmy signature.

LESLIE M. HARRIMAN. 

